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Republic of Korea
Timeline: Pax Columbia

OTL equivalent: Korean Peninsula
Flag Coat of Arms
Flag Coat of Arms
Location of Korea
Location of Korea
Motto
Translation: Benefit broadly the human world
Anthem "(English: "Patriotic Song")"
Capital Pyongyang
Largest city Seoul
Other cities Busan, Icheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Goyang, Rason, Changang
Language Korean
Religion
  main
 
No Religion 46.5%
  others Buddhism 22.8%

Protestantism 18.3%

Roman Catholic Church 10.9%

Other 1.7%

Demonym Korean
Government Unitary semi-presidential republic
  Legislature National Assembly
President Lee Myung-bak
Population 78,875,000 (18th)
Currency Won (₩)
Time Zone +9.00
Calling Code +82
Internet TLD .kr

Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a sovereign state in the Korean Peninsula. The name "Korea" is derived from Goryeo, a dynasty which ruled in the Middle Ages.

Its neighbors are China to the west, Japan to the east, Heilong to the North, and the East China Sea to the south. Korea lies in the north temperate zone with a predominantly mountainous terrain.

Archaeological findings show that the Korean Peninsula was occupied by the Lower Paleolithic period. Korean history begins with the founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BC by the legendary Dan-gun. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea under Silla 668 AD, Korea went through the Goryeo Dynasty and Joseon Dynasty.

The Second Sino-Korean war of 1937 expanded into part of World War II, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Goyang and Gyeongsan. After occupation by Soviet and F.S. forces at the end of World War II, the nation established in 1948 as a democracy, though political turmoil and times of military rule and martial law characterized much of the period until the foundation of the Sixth Republic in 1987.

The Korean economy grew significantly and the country was transformed into a major economy, a full democracy, and a regional power in East Asia.

Korea is a presidential republic consisting of sixteen administrative divisions and has the world's third-largest economy by nominal GDP and fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is also the world's fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer. Although Korea has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military force in self-defense and peacekeeping roles. After Singapore, Korea has the lowest homicide rate (including attempted homicide) in the world. Korea is a member of the United Nations, WTO, OECD and G-20 major economies. It is also a founding member of APEC and the East Asia Summit.

Culture[]

Anime and Manga are known to have their origins in Korea animation Animation (한국어 애니메이션) and Manhwa (만화). The first case of an Korean Animation was created in 1917 in Korea. Later on in 1944 the first feature length Korean Animation film was made, called Divine Sea Warriors as a propaganda for the Korean Imperial Navy. Later on, Korean Animation and Manhwa soon became very popular in Korea and soon spread into China and Japan and later the rest of the world. Notable Korean Animation and Manhwa include the Dongyang Project (동방 프로젝트; OTL Touhou Project) a Manhwa and video game series, Seujeumiya Haluhi (스즈미야 하루히 시리즈; OTL Haruhi Suzumiya), Death Note (데스노트), and others.

Relationship with Japan[]

In a modern context, Korea-Japan relations pertain to three states: Korea, North Japan, and South Japan. Korea and Japan have had cultural interactions for over a thousand years and direct political contact almost as long. In modern times Korea’s relations with North and South Japan have had a legacy of bitterness stemming from unresolved issues relating to Imperial Korea’s rule of Japan from 1910–1945.

Diplomatic relations with South Japan[]

Diplomatic relations between Korea and South Japan were established in 1965. In the early 2000s, the Korean-South Japanese relationship soured when the Korean prime minister Yasukuni Shrine visited Junichiro Koizumi. Conflict continues over claims to the Liancourt Rocks, a group of small islets halfway between the two countries.

Diplomatic relations with North Japan[]

Bilaterally and through the Six-Party Talks, North Japan and Korea continue to discuss Korean citizens abducted by North Japan during the 1970s and 1980s, although there are no diplomatic relations.

Cultural exchange[]

After the end of Second World War, South Japan banned Korean cultural imports, until around 1998 when the ban was partially lifted by a Kim Jong-pil. In 2004 the ban on imports of Korean CDs and DVDs was finally lifted in South Japan.

Japanese Immigrants[]

The majority of Japanese in Korea are called 일본어 머물 한국에 (ilbon-eo e meomul hangug; means 'Japanese [Ilbon-eo] staying in [E Meomul] Korea [Hangug]'). The term "Ilbon-eo e Meomul Hangug" refers only to long term Japanese residents of Korea who trace their roots to the period of Korean colonialism in Japan.

Author: CassAnaya

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